The Modular or better known as ‘Le Modulor’ is the epiphany of the works of the world renowned and revered architect Le Corbusier one of the pioneers for what is now called modern architecture. Amidst his heightened career in pioneering modern architecture , he devised or rather created a new form of measurement in which he presented the reason behind why and the importance of his ideas in the form of a book called Le Modulor.
In his book, he stated the very definition of a unit of measurement and how it evolves over time in the works of humans to project a form or dimension. In his vision of establishing harmony between spaces and anthropology where measurements are applicable universally in architecture as well as mechanical. In terms of anthropology in which his ideas are based upon, Le Corbusier believes that a standard human body can be essentially used as a form of universal measurement. He created the ‘modulor’ man in his theories solely to understand the human form, a six feet male human form to be precise. A mixture of anthropology and mathematics using a series of golden sections, known as the Fibonacci sequence in order to create a standard human form that is applicable as a unit of measurement.
He expresses his dislike of the metric meter as a form of measurement as he states that it has no scale or form in a visual way. He believes that a unit of measurement with visuals could be a unit that unites an international scale of measurement in which is understood by all and applied. Inspired by the ancient and traditional forms of applied measurements, he researched the idea to back his theory on this new unit of measurement of his. Traditional forms of measurement around the world all share a common form, that is the use of the human form. Forms such as the human body parts are used to refer to a unit of measurement be it for distance or height. In some contexts, especially in architecture and construction this particular form is dependent on the craftsmen or builders that construct something and basing the measurements to their own specifications or rather through their experience in measuring meaning not one construction was ever the same in a minute detail.
When relating back to our project’s site, such units of measurements used are purely traditional due to the building’s old age and form of construction therefore the exact measurement intended was based upon the builder themselves. Which means at this point the real measurements and units used could be based upon traditional methods of measuring as well as a rough estimation on it. If there were to be a standard form of human measurement, it would do justice upon the structures that once stood against the test of time and in addition, could be archived of all its dimension. As Le Corbusier intended for his invention to be a united standard of measurement unit, this idea could more or less be a stepping stone in creating a visual construct form of measurement that could be a mediator for the metric and imperial units.
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